Salmon fish has great health benefits due to the abundant nutrition, vitamins, proteins, and minerals this meat contains. Apart from its prodigious nutritional value, the salmon fish has a delectable taste that is so thrilling for your taste buds. Furthermore, Salmon also contains very little mercury and other heavy metals as compared to other fish species.
Eating Salmon fish helps boost up your immunity, prevents inflammation, develops healthy muscles, and helps enhance cognitive functions. It offers similar health virtues to your dog but while giving it to the dog, extra care must be taken to avoid any discomfort of your pet.
Dogs can eat salmon in moderate quantities to enjoy the taste and benefits to their optimum. However, make sure your dog doesn’t take too much Salmon as it can disturb his stomach, cause gastrointestinal discomfort, and diarrhea. It may also lead to undesirable weight gain in dogs as Salmon contains a good quantity of fat.
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Can Dogs Eat Salmon?
As salmon is highly nutritious and healthy, you can feed your dogs with the salmon to let them enjoy the wonderful health benefits. It will boost up their immunity, strengthen their muscles, improve their cognitive ability, and reduce any inflammation and allergies they might have.
Unlike humans, your dog doesn’t need seasoned salmon. Spices are unhealthy for humans and dogs alike but they are way more health-destructive for dogs. When you are giving a piece of salmon to your dog, make sure that it is properly cooked and boneless without seasoning. Bones can stick in their throat and can cause injury, so boneless salmon is preferable.
What is Salmon Poisoning in Dogs?
You are aware of the word food poisoning, have you ever heard of Salmon poisoning? Probably many of us don’t know what it is because Salmon poisoning is hardly seen in humans and other animals. But this illness is reported frequently in dogs. You can eat raw Salmon without having any health hazards if your immune system is working fine. Similarly, you can give it to your pet cat.
If your dog takes a little raw Salmon, it can be fatal for him. The symptoms of salmon poisoning usually appear within 6-10 days after its intake. If your dog gets salmon poisoning and you didn’t notice it to provide him the appropriate treatment, your dog can die within 2 weeks of eating the raw Salmon.
Surely, you would never want to lose your lovely pet with salmon poisoning. That’s not a big deal. Simply, you just have to keep your dog away from raw salmon for his safety as prevention is always better than cure.
In case your dog has taken raw salmon from somewhere sans your knowledge, then as a dog owner, you must know the symptoms of salmon poisoning to suspect he has eaten raw salmon. Otherwise, your pet will die and you won’t make out what happened to him. Noticing his symptoms, you can take him to the veterinary specialist, so he can get the proper medical treatment.
Signs and Symptoms of Salmon Poisoning:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Dehydration
- Loss of appetite
- Debility and weakness
- Fever
- Weight Loss
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Discharge from nose & eyes
Read More: Can Dogs Eat Water Chestnuts?
What To Do If Your Dog Has Salmon Poisoning?
The dog who gets salmon poisoning can spread it to other dogs through the fecal matter, so it is advisable to separate him from other dogs and give him the appropriate medical treatment.
How Common Is Salmon Poisoning In Dogs?
This fatal illness is very common in dogs. You can estimate it from the fact that your dog can get salmon poisoning whenever he eats raw salmon, meaning that he can get this illness more than once. This is something of great concern. Therefore, never give raw salmon to your dog.
It is, however, seen that the spread of salmon poisoning from one dog to another is rare. But separating the infected dog from other dogs is always better as by doing so, any risk of transmission is avoided. Approximately, 90% of dogs die from salmon poisoning if not treated. When proper medical care is provided, the dog usually recovers within a few days.
Can Dogs Eat Smoked Salmon?
Smoked salmon is so appetizing and tasteful. You may want your puppy to taste a little of it and enjoy the same delicious bites. But smoked salmon is not for your dogs. Just like raw salmon, it is harmful to your dog’s health and maybe even fatal if your dog has a compromised immune system.
Smoked salmon is not cooked instead it is cured. As it is dried, it may contain dead bacteria and worms which can cause diarrhea and vomiting. If the bacteria and fluke are not dead, it can cause salmon poisoning which can be fatal.
Furthermore, being cured, smoked salmon contains a heavy amount of salt which is deteriorating for your dog’s health. Excess salt is unhealthy for humans, dogs need even less salt than us, so smoked salmon(cured) is simply poison for them.
A little salt is normally required in the diet for normal functioning, but the excess of it can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, which ultimately lead to sickness. Besides, it can lead to sodium poisoning. Hence, neither excess nor too little, moderation also proved best in the end.
What If My Dog Eats Smoked Salmon?
In case if your dog eats smoked salmon, then you must take him to a veterinary specialist straight away to provide him the proper treatment. If the smoked salmon contains bacteria and worms, it can cause salmon poisoning which is fatal if left untreated. Usually, after eating smoked salmon, the dogs exhibit diarrhea and vomiting. With the right medical treatment, the dogs recover within a few days.
Salmon Skin:
Dogs love salmon skin and there is no harm in giving them the salmon skin as long as the salmon skin is cooked properly to kill harmful bacteria and worms. After that cut into small pieces before serving them to your dog to avoid choking. They should be consumed very little as they contain a huge amount of fat and you may not want your puppy to gain weight.
Salmon Dog Food:
A lot of top-quality brands are producing high-quality dog food that contains salmon. Some food products have salmon only as a source of protein. While some of the dog food has the addition of other meat to the salmon with salmon being the primary source of protein.
If your dog is healthy and fit with the causal diet, then salmon dog food is not necessary for him. But if your dog has itchy skin, occasional gastrointestinal problems, and a bad coat, then it is best to change his diet to the salmon product as it can reduce any allergies, give a supple and healthy coat to your dog, and reduce any inflammation.
It is highly recommended to give the salmon food product to the old dogs for improved strength, boosted immunity, and better cognitive function. If your dog gets allergic to chicken and beef, then a little amount of salmon to their diet can prevent this.
Before giving your dog the salmon food, make sure that it has good quality constituents and balanced nutrition because dogs cannot rely on salmon alone for good health.
Can Dogs Eat Leftover Salmon?
Dogs can eat your leftover salmon with the condition that it must be properly cooked. You know exactly what can happen if your pet eats the improperly cooked salmon. Salmon is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and proteins which are required for optimum brain functioning, good immunity, and a shiny coat.
The poorly cooked, smoked or raw salmon should never be offered to dogs as it can cause serious health issues, some of which can be even fatal like salmon poisoning.
Conclusion:
No one can deny the fact that Salmon offers abundant positive health perks to puppies. But again we say moderation is the key to a balanced and healthy lifestyle. For the well-being of your dog, you should never give them smoked or raw salmon. Yet, at the same time, you must give them cooked salmon or salmon food products for superior health.
